Stand Up For Justice Rally in LA - Wednesday, January 18

The "Open Courts Coalition" - a group of attorneys from around the state advocating for adequate funding for the judiciary - has organized a “Stand Up For Justice” Rally in Los Angeles to support adequate funding for California’s courts.

The Rally will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. on Grand Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets in downtown Los Angeles (in front of the Disney Concert Hall). 

The organizing committee for the event firmly believes that it  could and will be the largest single gathering ever in the United States by lawyers, judges, justices, organized labor and stakeholders in support of the Justice System.  

The coalition reportedly is seeking to prevent further cuts to the judiciary's budget by the Governor and Legislature, and eventual restoration of the $350 million that has been cut from the judiciary's budget over the past two years. The budget released by Governor Brown on January 5, proposes no further cuts in the judiciary's budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year - IF California voters approve the Governor's tax increase initiative on the November ballot.  If the initiative fails, the courts are looking at yet another substantial budgetary hit of $125 million -  which the Governor suggested in his summary of the budget "is the equivalent of court closures equal to three days per month."

The following is a partial list of scheduled speakers for the "Stand Up for Justice" rally:

Paul R. Kiesel - Moderator

Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye - Chief Justice of California

(a statement from the Chief Justice will be read)

Hon. Gray Davis - Former Governor of California

Justice Carlos Moreno - Former California Supreme Court Justice

Hon. Michael Feuer - Member of the California State Assembly

Sen. Joseph L. Dunn (ret.) - CEO, State Bar of California

Peter Glaessner - President, California Defense Counsel

Deborah Kelly - Directing Attorney of the Los Angeles County Bar Assn. Domestic Violence Project

Niall McCarthy - President, Consumer Attorneys of California

Gary Paul - President, American Association for Justice

Representative of AFSCME

Jon Streeter - President, State Bar of California

Hernan Vera - President, Public Counsel

Eric Webber - President, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Allan Zaremberg - President, California Chamber of Commerce